House to vote on care for those sickened by water

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House to vote on care for those sickened by water

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House is expected to vote legislation that would provide medical care for Camp Lejeune Marines and their relatives who could have been sickened by drinking water contaminated with toxins linked to cancers and organ damage.

That vote is scheduled for Tuesday.

The U.S. Senate has already approved the bill, which would cover those who lived or worked at Lejeune from 1957 to 1987.

Bill sponsor Rep. Brad Miller has said the military minimized the health risks of the tainted water for 30 years.

Documents show Marine leaders were slow to respond when tests first found evidence of contaminated ground water in the early 1980s. Some drinking water wells were closed in 1984 and 1985, after further testing confirmed contamination from leaking fuel tanks and an off-base dry cleaner.